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hightail. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
hightail, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
hightail in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
hightail you have here. The definition of the word
hightail will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
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English
Etymology
From high + tail; refers to the behavior of fleeing animals, such as deer, that raise their tail when running away.
Pronunciation
Verb
hightail (third-person singular simple present hightails, present participle hightailing, simple past and past participle hightailed)
- (informal, chiefly Canada, US, usually transitive) To move at full speed, especially in retreat.
- Synonyms: skedaddle; see also Thesaurus:move quickly
He hightailed it toward town.
I want you to hightail your butt out of there before they come back.
2008, Dave Klein, The Game of Their Lives: The 1958 NFL Championship, page 217:When I saw he had scored, I just hightailed out of there, because all those people started running down on the field and that's a lot more dangerous than playing.
Derived terms
Translations
to move at full speed, especially in retreat